Isoka is a town located in the
Muchinga Province
Muchinga Province is one of the ten provinces of Zambia. It is located in the northeast of the country and borders with Tanzania in the north, Malawi in the east, Eastern Province in the south, Central Province in the southwest, Luapula Province ...
of
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
near the borders with
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
and
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...
. It lies on the
T2 Road (
Tanzam Highway
The Tanzam Highway leads from Lusaka in Zambia to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The highway was built from 1968 to 1973 in several stages and was intended to provide seaport access for Zambia and to expand the transport options for Zambia, Mal ...
;
Great North Road).
Area
The area of the district now (2020) is 5,091 km
2. The entire country is divided into administrative provinces, each sub-divided into districts, of which there are currently (2020) 116. Previously, there were only 61, and before that, 57 (in about 1980). Before that, there were fewer still. Consequently, the area of the district has reduced over time. It is home town to Namwanga speaking people under Chief Kafwimbi.
Population
The district is populated mainly by
Winamwanga, with some
Wiwa,
Nyika. and
Tumbuka. The senior chief is
Kafwimbi. The traditional ceremony called Ngondo is celebrated in the district.
History
The district town of Isoka is 70 miles from the border with
Tangayika, which had been a German colony until 1918. During the Second World War, Isoka was the official border post. Military convoys of up to 100 vehicles stopped at Isoka on their way to the battlefields in East Africa and the
Western Desert. The road then was untarred.
In 1966, Isoka had a secondary school, for boys only; it had no water supply, water was collected from the stream. The
Great North Road between
Tunduma
Tunduma is a town in Songwe Region, Tanzania, on the border between Tanzania and Zambia. It has border posts for both the Tanzam Highway and the TAZARA railway (for which it has a station) linking the two countries. It is located 103 km southwe ...
in
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
and
Kapiri Mposhi
Kapiri Mposhi is a Zambian town, seat of the Kapiri Mposhi District, Central Province. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka an ...
was still the only road connection.
References
Populated places in Muchinga Province
{{Zambia-geo-stub